2023 Conference Summary

MNAFPM held the 2023 Annual Conference in Moorhead, MN from November 1st to the 3rd. Over 100 floodplain managers, state and federal regulators, meteorologists, academics, design professionals, consultants, and students from both Minnesota and North Dakota, as well as nearby states, made the trip to Moorhead. On the first day of the conference attendees started with trainings offered by Ceil Strauss (MNDNR), Chuck Hubbard (Braun Intertec), Salam Murtada, Jeff Weiss, & Brady Swanson (MNDNR), and Parm Broviak (FEMA Region V). Later in the day the exhibitor social allowed for networking amongst the attendees and the various sponsors. The day ended with a panel discussion where the Ceil Strauss and Aaron Carranza from the Minnesota DNR and North Dakota DWR, respectively, provided an update on the state of floodplain management both in the midwest and at a national level.

The second day of the conference kicked off with an introduction to the City given by Mayor Shelly Carlson and an introduction to the massive Fargo/Moorhead Diversion Project given by Joel Paulsen and Kris Bakkegard from the Metro Diversion Authority. This was followed by a full day of breakout sessions offered by state and local officials as well as engineering consultants. Many of these technical sessions further introduced attendees to the details of the Diversion Project as well as other research and projects across the midwest. The day culminated in a session that brought together key personal involved in the Diversion Project for an in-depth discussion of all the main aspects and challenges. 

MnAFPM - Lisa Buchli Floodplain Manager of the Year Award
Stacy Harwell (Stantec)

Top Speaker Awards
Jordan Thole (SEH), Eric Roerish (SRF), and Jeff Weiss (MNDNR)

Red River Watershed Management Board
The Board recognized Pat Lynch for his years of service with the DNR and his advocacy for the Valley. 

2023 MnAFPM Field Tour